Thanks to Marty Maloney of the White Sox I had the chance to spend a few minutes on the phone with Sox pitching prospect Anthony Carter this afternoon. It was a nice change of pace since it’s snowing out right now with more expected! The Sox are making members of the organization available from time to time to invited web sites and I wanted to make sure White Sox Interactive was represented.

Carter came out of Georgia Perimeter junior college as a 26th round pick. He’s worked his way up through the Sox system with stops at Bristol, Great Falls, Kannapolis and Winston-Salem. He went 11-7 as a starter there in 2009 but was converted to relief. In the Arizona Fall League, Carter opened a few eyes by striking out 16 with no walks in ten innings. Scouting reports say his fastball is his best pitch, clocked at 95-98 MPH, but his eventual success may hinge on the development of his “secondary” or “out” pitches.

He was added to the Sox 40 man roster and is scheduled to throw in one of the first intersquad games this weekend.

Here’s a recap of the conversation in no particular order of questions.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Q: What were your initial feelings about being converted to relief?

AC: “I was called into the office and told that the Sox thought this would be my best chance to make the big leagues. I looked at it as something new and different.”

Q: You were always seen as a starter, was it a blow to you to be told, ‘you should try pitching in relief’?

AC: “No I thought it made me more energized. Instead of getting a chance to pitch every fifth day I had to be ready every day or every other day.

Q: Do you have a particular pitch you like to throw other than your fastball?

AC: “Whatever’s working that day! I do prefer my slider though.”

Q: Describe your experience pitching in the Arizona Fall League.

AC: “It was a lot of fun. I got to face some of the top prospects in all of baseball.”

AC: “He knows what to say and when to say it. I pitched one day and gave up some runs, then pitched again and gave up even more runs when I was just making the change to a relief pitcher, he came up to me and said, ‘you’re in the bullpen now you don’t have to reserve yourself, just let it go…’ and that’s what I needed to hear at the time.”

Q: How big of an adjustment was it for you mentally making the change from starter to relief pitcher?

AC: “It really wasn’t an issue. I don’t have to worry anymore on off days after an outing if something happened. Now I just get ready that day and get in the frame of mind to get guys out.”

Q: What stop did you have to make the biggest adjustment?

AC: “The adjustments were sublime everywhere but probably double A was the biggest, you have to be mentally right to get guys out at that level. “

Q: What pitch do you still feel you need to work on?

AC: “I think it’s my slider, I want to keep refining it and get it to the point where it’s a swing and a miss pitch.”

Q: You’ve pitched in some small ballparks in the minor leagues, if you get to pitch at U.S. Cellular Field what do you think you’ll need to do to be successful?

AC: “I’ll have to keep the ball down in the zone and use my sinker more.”

Q: This past year in the Fall League you struck out 16 guys with no walks in ten innings. Did you change anything to start having that type of control?

AC: “I was more aggressive with hitters, I decided to start going after them.”

Q: When you’re getting your work in, in spring training, does it bother you more to say give up a home run or walk a guy or two?

AC: “Well if I’m getting my work in I guess I’d rather give up a home run as long as there’s nobody on base because that means I’m around the plate and throwing strikes.”